my boo - jamal turner

You Deserved It

Lani pov

"These bitches must be crazy," Jamal whispered. I smiled. "Hey, what'd they expect? I'm a Diaz; I don't exactly forgive easily."I looked over at Olivia and Monse, who were wiping the blood off their faces. Monse looked at me and then quickly turned away. "She deserved it; Cesar might be angry, but they had it coming."

"Lani Diaz, report to the principal's office," the intercom spoke. I grabbed my bag, walking off and accidentally banging into Monse as I walked down the halls. I sat down in the office, seeing Gustavo and Oscar sitting there waiting. Oscar looked pissed. I didn't want to look Oscar in the eyes; I promised I wouldn't fight again. "Lani Diaz," the reception called. We all stood up, and the lady looked down in fear. We walked through to see Ruby's mom and Monse's dad sitting there as well.

"Look, I get what happened was an unexpected event, and due to the fact that Lani had physically assaulted two students, I've had no choice but to suspend her for her actions." My eyes opened in shock, and Oscar was just tapping his foot; I knew he was angry."So the other two get away for starting the fight?" Gustavo questioned. "Well, due to Lani having these issues in the past, I have no choice," the principal spoke. I looked around to see Ruby's mom sympathetically smiling. "I don't think that is right; Lani wouldn't have done something if she didn't have a reason to." I was shocked she was speaking up for me. "Once again, ma'am, I have no choice," the principal insisted.

I walked out towards the car, and Oscar still wasn't talking. I hopped in the car, and he just sat there. "You gotta cut this fucking shit out." I nodded. "Oh, so you're quiet now. You always got a mouth on you, and for what? To get kicked out of school?" His voice was raising with every word. "I'm sorry, okay? You don't understand what it's like to have everyone make comments about your family, everything you've ever known, and for people to look at you like you're a piece of shit." I yelled back.

As we drove away from the school, the silence in the car was thick with tension. Oscar's anger was palpable, and the disappointment in his eyes cut deep. The image of Monse and Olivia, bloodied and bruised, lingered in my mind, a stark reminder of the consequences of my actions. Oscar's frustration and concern were evident as he navigated through the streets of Freeridge.

We pulled up to the driveway, and I just closed the car door, walking to my room without uttering a word. There was a knock, and Oscar came in. "What?" I snapped. He shook his head as he sat down next to me. "I know it's hard. I know what it's like, but you can't fight back with people who are always gonna win, Lani." I nodded, frustration and hurt welling up inside me.

"They ain't gonna be shit in a few years." Oscar pulled me close. "Just worry about you. I'll always be there." I felt the weight of his words, the disappointment in his eyes, and the genuine concern for my well-being. Oscar knew the harsh reality of Freeridge and understood that, as a Diaz, the odds were often stacked against us. Sometimes being the bigger person was more important than proving a point, especially in a place like Freeridge.

He continued, "You're more than this, Lani. More than Freeridge. You need to rise above it. I get it, the frustration, the need to defend yourself, but sometimes, being smarter, being stronger in other ways, is the key. I don't want to see you end up in this predicament because you're better than that." Oscar's words hung in the air, a mix of disappointment, hurt, and a brotherly plea for me to see beyond the confines of our neighborhood. I knew he cared, not just as my brother but as someone who wanted a better future for me, a future beyond the struggles of Freeridge.

I sat outside with Oscar as we shared a crate, Jamal and Ruby turned up, and I jumped up, smiling. "Lani, we just came to check if you're okay." I smiled, nodding, and wrapped my arms around the boys. "Thank you," I whispered. As it grew dark, all the boys had gone home. I remained on the porch when I saw Jamal walking up by himself. He sat down next to me, wrapping his arms around me. "Forget those bitches. They're bonkers for thinking they could just mess with you," he ranted. I smiled as he continued, "Watching you punch Monse in the face..."